At her country house in upstate New York, artist Deborah Buck replaces a dilapidated barn with sleek new guest quarters and a painting studio

Sculpture

Sculpture

ELLE DECOR: So how did a ramshackle sheep barn become such a stylish outpost for your country house?DEBORAH BUCK: The old red barn was great to look at. Seen from the house, it had a lovely, pure outline: a triangle on top of a square, with a little square window near the peak of the roof. It was iconic and such a marker on the landscape. We found ourselves staring at it all the time, especially after we installed the Alexander Liberman sculpture next to it. Finally it became a question of doing something with it or just losing the barn altogether.ED: How long did the project take?DB: From planning to finish, about three years. But remember, we weren't there all the time, and we weren't in a rush. It wasn't going to be anyone's primary residence—although my teenage son certainly thought it would be perfect for him. I wanted to think about it, to cogitate and get the details right.

The guesthouse on Deborah Buck's property in upstate New York is made of reclaimed barn wood and has a steel gable roof.

Living Room

Living Room

ED: Is there anything left of the original barn?DB: Not a stick. Our architect, Robert Rhodes, is particularly known for his commitment to the environment and for green building, but the original barn was too far gone. We did use reclaimed local barn wood—it just wasn't our own.

The living area includes a Munder-Skiles sofa covered in an Edelman leather, a 1960s cocktail table, a cowhide from ABC Carpet & Home, and a C. Jeré sculpture. The fireplace and opposite wall are sheathed in lead-coated copper, and the flooring is polished concrete.